Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Bottom Cheesecake

 

 

Brownie Crust
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter chip
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cheesecake Filling
2 lbs cream cheese, softened
5 eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup smooth peanut butter (not natural-style)
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
6 peanut butter cups, cut into quarters
Decoration
6 peanut butter cups, cut carefully in half
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter cup
Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F Grease 9-inch springform pan with butter.
2. Stir together butter, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with spoon or wire whisk. Add eggs; stir until well blended. Stir in flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; blend well. Spread in prepared pan.
3. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until brownie begins to pull away from side of pan. Meanwhile make cheesecake layer (see below).
4. Immediately after removing brownie from oven, sprinkle milk chocolate chips, peanut butter chips and peanut butter cups over brownie surface. Spoon cheesecake mixture over chips. Turn down oven 325°.

Cheesecake Filling:.(makes extra).

1. Beat cream cheese in bowl of electric mixer until smooth.
2. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Add sugar, peanut butter and cream; mix until smooth.
4. Stir in vanilla.
5. Pour filling into prepared crust.
6. IF SOME BATTER IS LEFT OVER, EITHER STORE OR PUT IN SMALLER SPRINGFORM PAN.
7. Double-wrap springform pan with aluminum foil to prevent water seeping inches.
8. Place springform pan into a larger baking pan.
9. Pour hot water into the larger pan so that the water comes 1 inch up the sides of the springform pan.
10. Bake at 325 degrees 1-1/2 hours, or until firm and lightly browned.
11. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for one hour.
12. Run a knife along the edge of the cake to loosen it from the pan somewhat.
13. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before decorating.

Decoration- (makes a lot extra-try using it on individual slices after cutting).

1. Remove cake from pan and put on a pretty plate.
2. Bring whipping cream to boil in a small saucepan.
3. Remove from heat and add semi-sweet and peanut butter chips. Stir, stir, stir until melted and smooth.
4. Drizzle over cake and then add peanut butter cup halves around the edge of the cake.

 

 

Chicken Pot Pie

 

 

Ingredients:
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – cubed
1 (16 ounce) bag frozen carrots and peas
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
32 oz. carton chicken broth for boiling(reserve 1 3/4 cups chicken broth for sauce)
2/3 cup milk
2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts
Instructions:
Recipe Notes: I like to slightly bake the bottom crust before filling the pie so it isn’t soggy. Just bake for 5-6 minutes at 425 degrees.

 

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C.)
2. In a pot, combine the raw chicken, carrots, peas, and celery. Add the carton of chicken broth to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain (reserving 1 3/4 cup chicken broth for filling) and set aside.
3. In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and combine with the chicken, carrots, peas, and celery mixture. Here you can add more chicken broth if you like depending how runny you want your filling.
4. Place the chicken filling in bottom crust. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Buffalo Chicken Nachos

 

 

Ingredients

8 cups Ranch flavored tortilla chips (I used Cool Ranch Doritos)
4 cups cooked chicken shredded
1 1/2 cups Frank’s Buffalo Wing sauce
water
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
4 ounces blue cheese crumbles
1 cup chopped celery
Instructions

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Spread tortilla chips on a rimmed baking sheet or in a shallow dish.
Bring wing sauce and 1/2 cup water to a simmer. Add shredded cooked chicken; heat through. Strain the chicken (reserving the sauce) and spread over ranch-flavored tortilla chips. Top with shredded cheddar.
Bake in the upper third portion of the oven until cheese is melted for about 5-7 minutes. After nachos are baked top with blue cheese, chopped celery and the reserved wing sauce.

Chewy M&M Sugar Cookies

 

 

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar, plus 1/3 cup for rolling
2 oz cream cheese, cut into 8 pieces
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and still warm
1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tablespoon milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1 1/4 cups M&M’s
Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. Combine 1 1/2 cups of sugar and cream cheese in a large bowl (no need to stir them together yet). Put the remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a pie plate and set aside. Pour the warm butter over the cream cheese mixture and whisk to combine – the mixture won’t be completely smooth yet, that’s fine. Whisk in the oil then the egg, milk and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.
4. Use a rubber spatula to start folding the dry ingredients into the wet. When the dry ingredients are partially incorporated, add 3/4 cup of the M&M’s to the dough. Continue mixing until a soft dough comes together. (Don’t wait to add the M&M’s until the dry ingredients are completely incorporated – you’ll end up overmixing.)
5. Portion the dough onto the prepared baking sheets with a cookie scoop, using about 2 tablespoons for each cookie. Working quickly (if you handle the dough too much you’re more likely to wind up with flat cookies), roll the dough into a ball with your hands then roll in the sugar set aside in the pie plate previously. Repeat until you’ve used all of the dough, placing 12 cookies on each baking sheet. Use the bottom of a glass to flatten the dough balls into discs that are about 2 inches in diameter. Gently press 3 more M&M’s into the top of each cookie. NOTE: Your M&Ms on top will crack from the heat while baking so I wait to put the M&Ms on top of the cookie until right after they come out of the oven. Just press how ever many your want on top right when they come out and they won’t crack!
6. Bake the cookies, 1 tray at a time, for about 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are set. Remove from oven and press the M&Ms on top if you haven’t already put them on top. The tops of the cookies will be puffy and slightly cracked. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let the cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes then transfer them to the rack to cool completely.
7. Makes about 24 cookies.

Brownie Bites with Fluffy Peanut Butter Frosting

The recipe series was suppose to end on 2/28/13 but unfortunately I am sick so the recipe series will be extended by a few days.

 

Ingredients

Brownie Bites:
1 boxed brownie mix (I think chocolate cupcakes would be yummy too)
1 cup Reeses Peanut Butter chips (optional)
Peanut Butter Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons milk, or as needed
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
Instructions

Make brownie mix according to package directions. Add peanut butter chips if desired. Pour into paper lined mini muffin pans filling each cup about 3/4 full. Bake 14-18 minutes at 350 degrees or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool.
For the frosting: Place the butter and peanut butter into a medium bowl, and beat with an electric mixer. Gradually mix in the sugar, and when it starts to get thick, incorporate milk one tablespoon at a time until all of the sugar is mixed in and the frosting is thick and spreadable. Beat for at least 3 minutes for it to get good and fluffy. Frost brownie bites with frosting. Pipe the frosting with a star tip if you are feeling fancy!